Sew Good, Sew Good

Monday Motivation

Tula Pink was on the Crafty Planner podcast a few weeks ago and I just listened to it. It was great timing as I’m currently working on my first full sized quilt and it uses 3 of her new Eden prints. I learned on this episode that Tula used to design for Moda. I’ve only ever known her as a Free Spirit designer. I find it somewhat ironic because when I took the selvages to my local quilt shop to find coordinating solids (before I knew that she used to design for Moda), the three that matched the best were from Moda! When I took them to be cut the girl even said, “these look like Tula Pink colors, what are you working on?”. Here is my progress on the quilt top. I am having trouble deciding on what to use for backing so I might wait to attach the last 6 rows until I do.

Read:

Did you notice that Twitter changed the favorite star to a like heart? I wrote about the change for my work blog. Take a look!

Grainline Studios released the Stowe bag. I think the small version would be great as a lunch bag and the larger one would be perfect to gift to my grandmother for her knitting. I’m going to wait until after my upcoming vacation to pick up this pattern, but pick it up I will! I’m not usually drawn to bags, but I like the shape of this one. I have Anna Graham’s book and I got the Noodlehead Supertote kind of by accident, but I haven’t sewn any. I’m pretty good with bias binding so I think the Stowe will be a good first, second and maybe third bag for me.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you may have seen my Mortmain dresses (1, 2 and 3!). The Cotton + Steel arrows version is one of my most popular blog posts actually! If you’ve been thinking about purchasing this pattern, now is the time. Gather has come out with a Mortmain kit! There are two kits available in their online shop. If I didn’t already own the pattern I would totally buy the Autumnal kit, that fabric is beautiful!

Fabric:

Art Gallery is working on the look book for Katarina Rocella’s Wonderland fabric line. In a stroke of luck (or really good market research) the first Alice in Wonderland movie trailer was also sneak peeked around the same time. I’m a big fan of Alice in Wonderland and can’t wait for the fabric line and the new movie!

A “side effect” if you will, of making my own clothes is that I feel like I’m being more environmentally friendly. However, I’m a realist, I know many fabric lines are not made in ideal conditions and can contain harsh chemicals that aren’t good for the people who work around them. I know that the people in those factories are often paid just as poorly as the people who work in sweatshops, but I also know that buying a pattern from an indie designer who I can get to know via their blog or social media and using it over and over again is a lot better for the [somewhat] local economy.

I don’t go out of my way to buy ethically sourced or local fabric, but when an opportunity arises I take advantage. Case in point, the Ginger Jeans denim kits. High quality denim that is made in the US, sign me up! The latest ethically sourced fabric to fall into my lap? Hell Gate Fabrics.

The brainchild of Sonja, of Ginger Makes, Hell Gate Fabrics specializing in textiles that are healthier for people and the environment and come from traceable origins. Her fabrics are sourced from someone she knows in real life that works for a mill in Japan! I ordered some purple french terry, coordinating ribbing and plaid tencel gabardine. The french terry and ribbing have already been made into a sweatshirt and a mini sweatshirt for Julia and the tencel gabardine might become a sleeveless Granville, we shall see!

Rumor has it that Pendleton will be having a sale on fabric for Black Friday. I say rumor because I read it on someone’s sewing blog and now I can’t remember which one or find it from Googling! I’m loving plaids lately and will certainly be buying some if this sale comes to fruition. Look at all of the Pendleton fabrics here.

Watch:

Holy finale Downton Abbey! Only 30% of my readers are based in the UK so I won’t say too much, but let me explain how I watched it. I started watching it Monday morning before work, but it was a longer episode so I didn’t have time to finish. I got to my parking lot and had a little time before I had to get my day started and decided to watch the last 15 minutes in my car. I was ugly crying for most of that time. Lady Mary visits Mathew’s grave and then runs into Isobel and then gets a pep talk from the Dowager, my god it was just too much! I can’t wait for it to come back in the US so I can watch it on the big screen.

Life:

T minus 13 days until I leave for Disney. Of course I decided I needed all new clothes and have been sewing like a mad woman to get them all done. I know I’m not the only one who does this so I’d love to hear your stories about crazy vacation fueled sewing.